Will Arsenal's Struggle to Create Chances from Open Play Hurt Their Title Bid?

The latest Premier League matches have been analyzed in The Debrief, a Sky Sports column that combines data and opinion. This week, the focus is on Arsenal's disappointing performance against Bournemouth, which has put the title back in the balance. Despite Mikel Arteta's team excelling at set-pieces, their inability to create chances from open play was alarming, with an expected goals total of just 0.18. This over-reliance on set-plays can be damaging, as seen in the 26 minutes and 48 seconds spent with the ball dead during the match. Arsenal's formula has taken them to the top of the Premier League table, but their failure to create from open play has been a recurring issue, with six matches this season having an open-play expected goals total of 0.3 or lower. This is unusual for the Premier League leaders, and it may explain why fluency has been a problem. Meanwhile, West Ham's 4-0 win over Wolves has moved them out of the relegation zone, thanks in part to Jarrod Bowen's two assists. Bowen has been consistent, ranking among the top half a dozen players in the Premier League for goal involvements since signing for West Ham in 2020. He has a chance to join an exclusive club if he can finish the season strongly and reach 20 goal involvements. Sunderland's Brian Brobbey has also impressed, with his ability to hold the ball up and retain possession being one of the best in the Premier League. His success rate is higher than anyone else near the top of the list, and he has directly won Sunderland eight points with his six Premier League goals.